A DEPUTY Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government last night said the Assembly must be given primary law-making powers following the confusion over whether the Wales Office was being abolished.

A DEPUTY Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government last night said the Assembly must be given primary law-making powers following the confusion over whether the Wales Office was being abolished.

At first it was announced that the Wales Office and Scotland Office were being scrapped, with Peter Hain being promoted to Leader of the House of Commons.

Later, however, Mr Hain maintained that he was still Secretary of State for Wales.

John Griffiths, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services at the National Assembly, said, "Devolution is a process, not an event, and the fact that there will no longer be a full-time Secretary of State for Wales was to be expected.

"This recognises that there has been a shift of power from Westminster to Cardiff Bay and greatly strengthens the case for primary law-making powers.

"It is understandable that there will be a short delay in the work of the Richard Commission on the Assembly's powers, because they will obviously have to take account of these new developments."

First Minister Rhodri Morgan yesterday met Lord Richard, the chairman of the Commission, to discuss the situation.

But Liberal Democrat Assembly leader Mike German said there was no justification in delaying the Richard Commission.

He said, "The Assembly Government appointed the Commission but Labour has done everything they can to delay its work. Welsh Labour refused to give evidence before the election. Then the Labour party said it would give evidence but would not talk about future powers for the Assembly.

"Now Rhodri has seen an opening for further delay by claiming that changes to the Wales Office mean it is not appropriate for the commission to report yet.

"He is missing the point there. The Commission has been at work for eight months and already has a body of evidence which will be invaluable as Lord Falconer, the new Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, gets to grips with the outstanding issues around devolution."

Referring to the confusion surrounding Tony Blair's Cabinet reshuffle, Plaid Cymru president Ieuan Wyn Jones said, "Above all we need to know how primary legislation affecting Wales will be dealt with in Westminster.

"Unlike the Scottish parliament we can't make our own laws in the Assembly and have to rely on the Secretary of State to plead our case. This confusion is yet another reason why we need a proper parliament for Wales.

"I wonder if this present step is a tacit admission that the Richard Commission is going to come to that conclusion."

Meanwhile, the controversy over appointing Scottish MP John Reid as the Minister for Health in England continued, with Dr Reid likening it to the choice of Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson as England football coach.

"When they appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager, there was a huge fuss about it, but actually what people want to know now is has he been a good manager?" he said

And Lord Falconer surprised peers by appearing briefly on the Woolsack in the House of Lords in the full regalia of wig and gown following the disclosure that he would also be Lord Chancellor until the post was abolished by legislation.

Meanwhile, outspoken former Culture Minister Kim Howells won promotion to the Department of Transport and praise from the Prime Minister in the second day of the re-shuffle.

Dr Howells may have fallen out with artists, Hollywood stars, Turner Prize judges and rappers but his plain speaking manner is warmly welcomed at Downing Street.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said, "He does give the lie to the claim that all Government ministers are buttoned up robots, which is sometimes the caricature people try to present.

"He does speak his mind but the Prime Minister believes he deserves his promotion for the work he has done in promoting British tourism. He has his own style which we all enjoy."